Mads Mikkelsen and Boyd Holbrook to lead cast of Last Meals: Here's everything we know so far

Mysteriously charming Mads Mikkelson and Boyd Holbrook, who nailed his role of Johnny Cash in A Complete Unknown, are coming together for Last Meals, which The White Tiger director Ramin Bahran is directing. The news comes via Variety, who shared all the details of the project with the fans just recently. We will look into it now.

Justin Piasecki, who has previously written the Riz Ahmed and Sam Worthington starrer Relay, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and will be released this year, is writing the screenplay. Other than this, he has directed a short called Collecting Canada. He is also producing film.

As for the release, the date isn't set yet but HanWay Films is in charge of Cannes distribution, and UTA Independent Film Group and Sentient Entertainment of North America.

Other than Mads Mikkelsen and Boyd Holbrook, Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes), Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy), David Strathairn (Lincoln), and Joshua Boone (Seven Seconds) are in the movie too.

Mads Mikkelsen will be searching for truth in Last Meals

There's something about Boyd Holbrook's character, Jeffrey Reed, in the film. He is rebellious, and Mikkelsen's character, Walter Karat, makes an unlikely bond with him. Now we don't know much about the story, but it's set in a prison. And here's how Variety presents it in its piece:

"Walter Karat, a former White House Chef, whose fall from grace lands him in the kitchen of a maximum security prison cooking for death row inmates. Jeffrey Reed, a death row inmate who decides to go on a hunger strike and whose constant rejection of his meals frustrates him at every turn. Their animosity reaches a boiling point until Walter confronts Reed, triggering an unexpected deeper connection — Walter starts to believe Reed is innocent. As the two bond, Walter is determined to find out the truth."

Mads Mikkelson feels the story is non-judgmental and judgmental at the same time. Director Bahrani said he found Last Meals' story thrilling and emotional and hadn't seen a concept like that before.

Before this, the actor has appeared in films like Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022), Another Round (2020), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), and more. Most recently, he lent his voice to 2024's commercial hit Mufasa: The Lion King.

As for his co-star in the film, Boyd Holbrook is known for his role as DEA agent Steve Murphy in Narcos, where he was joined by Pedro Pascal, who played Javier Pena.

Interestingly, both the actors appeared in James Mangold's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).

What did people associated with the film say about it?

Renee Tab, who is one of the producers of Last Meals, explained that the film is set against the justice system, as Variety reports. She also compared the movie with the 1994 film, The Shawshank Redemption, which was nominated for seven Oscars. She says,

"Brought to life through the extraordinary vision and passion of Ramin, Mads, Justin, and Boyd—with echoes of The Shawshank Redemption—the result is a powerful, intimate film that lingers long after the final frame."